DRC's health ministry says doses of Ebola vaccine arrive

Congo's health minister on Thursday announced the first death since the outbreak was declared early this week, though the hemorrhagic fever blamed for the death has not been confirmed as Ebola. A new experimental vaccine has been shown to be highly effective, though quantities are now limited.

Thousands of doses of the experimental Ebola vaccine have arrived in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital amid the latest outbreak of the deadly disease, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The lawmakers resolved to urge the Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), "to take necessary steps to check immigration".

"The World Health Organisation states that Nigeria and other African countries are at risk of spread".

In an additional prayer by Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye, the Senate called for a quick resolution of the ongoing crisis in the health sector. It involves vaccinating voluntary contacts, contacts of those contacts and health care and other front-line workers.

Moving the motion, Tinubu urged the Federal Government to take precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of Ebola spread to the country.

In our experience, for each confirmed case of Ebola there are about 100-150 contacts and contacts of contacts eligible for vaccination.

"The Senate is further reminded that DRC is 445 kilometres by air from Abuja, is easily accessible via a flight from Lagos that takes less than three hours".

World Health Organization spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said the vaccine will be reserved for people suspected of coming into contact with the disease, and that a second batch of 4,000 doses would be sent in the coming days.

In response to the new outbreak of Ebola, the Africa CDC has activated its emergency operation center (EOC) to support the DRC national outbreak response efforts, and the Center has also mobilized its epidemic response team (ERT) for imminent deployment.

Health workers have recorded two confirmed cases, 22 probable cases and 17 suspected cases of Ebola in three health zones of Congo's Equateur province, and identified 432 people who may have had contact with the disease. "The Senate is further anxious that if we do nothing, given our population, we may well be on our way to creating a global situation".